Category Archives: Tired Tuesday

Jazz is the Answer!

Posted on March 13, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Music is magic.  I’ve known it for years.  Let me tell you how I was just reminded about it today.

I spent the day at work muddling through.  I don’t know if it was a kind of a migraine or spring allergies kicking, but I felt light-headed and nauseous all day.  Sorry to complain; just giving you the picture.  I thought I would have to take a Blogger’s Sick Day and wondered if I would make it to rehearsal for Morning’s at Seven, the play I am in at Ilion Little Theatre.

Eventually I got some ginger ale out of the machine, which helped the nausea.  I tried to feel thankful that it was light-headedness and not pain.  Counting one’s blessings can go a long way.  I came home and laid down for a while with my heated face mask, then had some coffee and food.

While all this was going on, I knew I had to make a blog post. Of course I did not write one while at work, muddling. Pondering what I could write, I checked my email and Facebook notifications.  I tried to forget how light-headed I was still feeling.  This was difficult, because it is not easy to hold a thought in such a light head (cue jokes about how that must often be the case for me).

As I sat here in front of a blank screen with increasing feelings of panic (I have to leave for rehearsal in less than an hour), Steven said he was going upstairs to lie down (fine wife I am; I didn’t even ask what was wrong).  I asked him to turn off the television or put it on one of the music channels.

“1945,” I suggested, picking the one I have memorized, because it is a year.  Suddenly, jazz was bouncing out of the television, and my fingers were on the keys and ready to type.

It has always been this way with me.  I remember sitting at my parents’ house, when I lived there.  I had Mom’s portable typewriter set up on the coffee table, paper rolled in, novel notes nearby, and I felt blank.  I put on a record album.  It was the soundtrack of StarWars, as I recall (it was the 1970’s).  It turns out, instrumental music is a writing trigger for me.

It is not my only trigger.  Sometimes I can write quite handily on breaks and before starting work with various factory sounds around me.  The ambient noise of a diner or bar works fine.  Sometimes the relative quiet of the library is nice.

Now I am over 400 words and I have about a half hour till I’d better leave.  So I guess this is my Tired Tuesday post.  Not a long whine about not being able to write, but a short story about how I managed to write… something.  Something good?  Well, we don’t ask for miracles on Tired Tuesday.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Getting a Clue on Tired Tuesday

Posted on March 6, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I CAN’T be tired, even if it is Tuesday!  I have rehearsal tonight!  For those of you just tuning in, it is for Morning’s at Seven at Ilion Little Theatre.  Just a half hour ago, I was congratulating myself that I had two and half hours before I had to be there: plenty of time for a blog post and other writing chores.  How’s that working out for me, you ask?  IT’S NOT!!!

OK, got that off my chest, on with the blog post.  I worked more on the murder mystery which should have been completed by now.  I question the wisdom of sharing that it is not done yet.  However, since I have neither a full cast nor rehearsals scheduled, I may as well admit the entire ugly truth. Never mind.  That script will be completed by week’s end, and the performance will be highly entertaining for all involved.

But getting back to the play at hand, I spent some time today working on my lines, while on break, OF COURSE, put down that phone if you were about to call my boss on me!  While I was actually working, I thought about my character (I have the sort of job where I can think about other things while I work).  I’m trying to piece together her backstory.  It’s always fun for me, figuring out from the script what happened before and what my character is thinking about now.  Later on in the rehearsal period, I’ll start writing a sequel in my head.  I would never actually write a sequel to somebody else’s script (I like to make up my own characters), but it is entertaining to talk to the other actors about what comes next.

Come to think about it, that makes every play kind of a mystery.  I look for CLUES in the script and figure things out!  Maybe I’ll make a good mystery writer yet.  In the meantime, I still have some time before rehearsal to work more on my lines.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Writing Drama and Drama about Not Writing

Posted on February 27, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had such high hopes of NOT having a Tired Tuesday post.  Additionally, it seems wrong to make a post about not writing on a day during which I actually wrote.  Do I not always say that writing begets writing?  And that all writing counts?  Well, I wrote a letter, I worked on a murder mystery, I wrote an introductory blurb for said murder mystery, I wrote three or four emails (I can’t count; it’s Tired Tuesday!).  Why do I feel that I am Done Writing for the day?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!  For one reason, I have another letter to write, I have not finished the above-mentioned murder mystery, and there is the matter of that new novel I am trying to start.

This is getting ridiculous.

My only solution is to become More Organized.  And stop working on puzzles during breaks at work.

One problem is a phenomenon I have often observed about myself and I’m sure mentioned in this space before:  I can’t write it, I can’t write it, I can’t write it, I sit down and I write it.  And I cannot seem to skip any of the “I can’t write its.”  I’ve tried, believe me, I HAVE TRIED!  But I shall not continue to insist on that.  For one reason, this is not Wrist to Forehead Tuesday, and I fear I am becoming a bit dramatic (Freudian typo:  I first put “big dramatic”)

On the other hand, why should I not be a bit dramatic?  I’m in another play, you know, as well as two murder mysteries.  There may be other theatrical opportunities on the horizon.  I will keep you posted.  When I become capable of writing a decent blog post.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Tale of a Tired Tuesday

Posted on February 13, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am sitting on my couch listening to sleet hit the windows and somebody plow out the neighbor’s driveway.  They are taking a long time about it, I must say.  I am going to talk about the weather for my Tired Tuesday post.  “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it”  (said in an airhead tone of voice).

The weather people were threatening a winter storm for today.  I kept saying, ” They don’t KNOW, they’re just guessing.” Of course, it is a highly educated guess.  I don’t know as much as the weather people do.  My bunions are far from accurate, as are the headaches I get from barometric pressure (yes, I’m just guessing about that).  At any rate, it did start to snow right around 10 a.m., as predicted.

I told Steven I was going to come home, park in the street, and shovel out the end of the driveway so I could back in.  He said, “Come home, pull in, and come inside.”  I made no promises.  When I left work it had already switched over to sleet, rather than waiting till five or so as predicted (so you see the weather folks were not completely accurate).  As usual, I appreciated my perverse sense of humor which leads me to laugh at bad weather.  I giggled and chuckled even as it felt like sharp pebbles were striking my cheeks.

Wind had been blowing, so some cars in the parking lot were more snow-covered than others.  Based on my usual luck, I predicted my car would be one of the covered ones.  It was, but as I approached, I saw that somebody was already cleaning it off!  It was my work friend, Kathy, who usually parks near where I usually park.  Her SUV was already clear.

“What a sweetie you are!”  I started the car and grabbed my own brush.  My little car was soon clear. I thanked my friend profusely and got going.

The drive home could have been a lot worse. As it was, roads were either snow-covered or icy, mostly the former, so that was OK.  I knew I would do no shoveling when I got home.  Sleet is painful!  When I got home, Steven met me at the door, prepared to forcibly prevent me from shoveling if need be.  There was no need.

So this is the extent of my Tired Tuesday post.  I did not think to take any pictures of the snow outside before it got dark, so you must use your imagination, if you are so inclined.  In the meantime, Happy Tuesday, and I hope to see you all on Wuss-out Wednesday (or whatever kind of a Wednesday it turns out to be).

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Writing Through the Angst on Tired Tuesday

Posted on February 6, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

So it’s Tired Tuesday again.  How did I get to be so old and useless anyways?  Oh, that sounded whiny and self-pitying, didn’t it?  I should erase it, but I am determined to make this post and have done with, so I made up my mind not to backspace out what I typed, no matter how pathetic.

Full disclosure:  I have been sitting here in front of a blank screen thinking that it may be time for me to stop being a daily blogger.  I have been doing this blog since May of 2011.  That’s a pretty good run, isn’t it?  I suppose it would have been a better run if there had been fewer posts about I Can’t Write a Blog Post Today.  Then again, if I had not been trying to make daily posts, there may have been fewer foolish posts. But what about the readers who enjoy my foolish posts?  Why should I deprive them? As regular readers know, I go through these angst-y things every so often, and I always end up hitting Publish and hoping for the best.  And trying again the next day.

If only I could get back into the habit of writing my blog posts during the day while on break at work!  One reason I did not do that today is that a co-worker brought me copy of Mohawk Valley Living magazine, and I was reading it.  I read all the articles and perused the ads, searching for future Mohawk Valley adventures.  You know, stuff I can write blog posts about.  So that is one plan for the improvement of this blog.

I have another plan to improve this blog:  I am going to work to improve my life, then blog about how I have brought these improvements about.  I am not certain how much I can improve myself at this late date (I am middle-aged, if I live to be over 100), but they say it never hurts to try.  If I fail miserably,  I can blog about that.  At least it should be good for a laugh.

In the meantime, this is my Tired Tuesday post.  At least I have found something different to say about not having anything decent to say.  And I gave a quick shout-out to Mohawk Valley Living.  I’ll try not to wuss out on Wednesday, but no promises.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Too Tired Today

Posted on January 30, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I was kind of proud of yesterday’s post:  pictures, commentary, local stuff…  But perhaps I flatter myself. No matter, today’s post is going to be foolish.  I am tired!  Yes, it’s Tired Tuesday!!! (fanfare, please)

No, I never thought it was Friday; I just like this picture.

We got lots of snow today, and more is falling.  I had to brush off my car after work.  I drove home and parked in the street while I shoveled the driveway.  More accurately, I removed one layer of show.  I did not hit bottom and I knew more was to fall.  But one does what one can.  I did not take too long about it but still had to brush off my windows when I went to park my car.  At least I backed in, so I have a better shot at getting out tomorrow.

Preview of coming attractions.

This was not today; it was the results of a previous storm.  I hope this is not what we wake up to tomorrow, but, as the great Fats Waller said, one never knows, do one?

“What is it? I’m a little busy here.”

And I throw in a picture of Nosferatu just for good measure.  I did mention this is Tired Tuesday, did I not?  Just as an aside, my laptop is acting up lately.  It keeps going blank for no reason.  It turns back on, then I have to log back in, bring up WordPress again, and most of my blog has usually been saved.  It happened a few times during my typing of yesterday’s opus.  It happened once so far today. I’m going to quite while I’m ahead.  I hope to see you all on Wuss-out Wednesday.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Words Happen. Or Not.

Posted on January 23, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Tired Tuesday follows Monstrous Monday in many cases.

I typed in that sentence, then I just sat here and stared at it, wondering what else to say.  It’s odd how sometimes I put fingers on keyboard and words happen (ooh, great title, that).  Sometimes not so much.  Guess what kind of day today is.

First drafts and blog posts.

Full disclosure:  most of my blog posts are first drafts.  Most of my everything are first drafts.  The papers I wrote in school, my murder mysteries, a lot of my articles for Mohawk Valley Living magazine, my many unfinished novels.  Oh well, I guess I do some editing, more on some things than others.  My writing is so informal, sometimes a first draft will do.

So this is another post about I Can’t Write a Blog Post Today.  What I am really trying to do is NOT write a post whining about some physical, emotional and personal troubles I have been having.  Oh dear, I should not have mentioned that at all.  And here is where a first draft can be a really good thing.  If this was a first draft, I could cut out that sentence when I edited and re-wrote.  The second or third draft could read entirely differently.  Less whiny, more coherent, in short, a better blog post.

A better blog post is always my aim.  I’ll see what I can do about that tomorrow.  However, experience has shown us all that sometimes Wuss-out Wednesday follows Tired Tuesday.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Apparently I Can Write a Blog Post

Posted on January 16, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I can’t have a Monstrous Tuesday; it’s not alliterative!  But here I am, doing nothing but read other blogs or look at Facebook when I meant to be making today’s post.  I should perhaps mention I am having a dreadful bout of Writer’s Blank.  At least, maybe this time it really is Writer’s Block, because there are words in my head that I intend to write.  Only when I sit down and put pen to paper, nothing comes out.

I found this gem by typing “monsters writing” into the search bar on Facebook.

Maybe it really is a discipline thing.  Perhaps if I gritted my teeth and forced myself to write the words I was thinking… Look, I already get sore muscles in my temples from grinding my teeth in my sleep, I do NOT need any more teeth gritting.  I really did sit down and write a sentence, which I immediately hated.  Oh, it was not the sentence you see at the top of this post.  I was trying to write my articles for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.

I imagine this was done with some gritted teeth.

I seem to follow a pattern with almost everything I write:  I can’t write it, I can’t write it, I can’t write it, I sit down and write it.  And I have yet to figure out how to skip any of the “I can’t write it”s.  I like to think the picture above is what might result if I tried.  For the uninitiated, it is from the 1980 movie The Shining, adapted from the Steven King book (by the way, they changed a LOT).  The main character is a writer, and this is all he has managed to come up with.

And now here I am approaching 300 words after I thought I couldn’t write at all.  So I guess that is one solution:  if you can’t write one thing, try something else.  Maybe I will be able to segue over to my articles next.  In the meantime, I’m going to call this a Tired Tuesday and drive on.  Maybe one picture of Nosferatu, just to cheer myself up.

“Wasn’t I supposed to be here on Monstrous Monday?”

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday, writing and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Good-Bye, Christmas!

Posted on January 9, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Steven and I had an at-home adventure today by taking down the Christmas lights on our front porch.  We are not the last house in Herkimer to do this, but we were among the last hold-outs.  Tradition says you keep your Christmas decorations up till Jan. 6, The Feast of the Epiphany.  I read that in a novel many years ago.  Somebody pulled down some holly that was in the way, and the heroine had bad luck.  It made an impression.  Also, I hate to let go of the holiday.

See how happy we looked?

OK, this is the real reason I decided to write my post about taking down the decorations:  I wanted an excuse to use the pictures again.   I thought a few pictures would cheer me up on a dreary January Tired Tuesday.

I could use a guardian angel.

Writing that caption made me think of the theory that we are here to be angels for each other.  I must think of something angelic to do for someone.  That might alleviate my post-Christmas letdown.

Maybe a softer light bulb next Christmas.

Regular readers may remember we put that Santa in the upstairs window because after I carried him down from the attic I did not feel able to make it down another flight of stairs.  Lifting him to put him away, I realized why.  Steven had put a rock inside the Santa last year when he was out on the porch.  How did I not notice that before? In any case, I carried Santa back up the attic without mishap, so yay, me.

And here is this year’s porch Santa.

This Santa Claus lives on our landing year round, because we love him so much.  My Mom and Dad found him in an antique shop in Pennsylvania.  I do love a vintage Santa.

Speaking of vintage, I think it is wine o’clock.  We put away decorations.  I made my blog post.  I think I am doing all right for a Tired Tuesday.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Monsters Usually Help

Posted on January 2, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

“Am I late?”

When in doubt, open with a vampire.  I came across a new picture of one of my favorite guys earlier today on Facebook and downloaded it.  I should have known it would immediately come in handy when I realized I don’t have a whole lot to blog about today.

The fact is I am deep in the throes of a massive Post-Holiday and — even worse — End of Vacation letdown.  But I am uncomfortably conscious of really being someone “with nothing to complain about.”  I put it in quotes, because it is kind of a cliche.  Now it is not only post-Christmas and Back to Work that is bothering me, it is that everything I type in sounds so stupid to me! Have I suddenly lost all ability to write?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!

It’s no use:  I am down and, as I often say, sometimes you just have to feel that way until you don’t feel that way any more.  In the meantime, there is no point in dragging others down with me.  I’ll throw in a couple more pictures, maybe make a couple jokes, and call it a Tired Tuesday post.

Who can resist a sweet puppy?

I just peeked back at Facebook, and this cute card from the 1950’s caught my eye.  After all, I’m not ALL about monsters, murder and mayhem.

Do you recognize a young Christopher Lee?

However, since I am somewhat about monsters, murder and mayhem, I end with a picture of Horror Hotel (1960), which I recently found out is also known as City of the Dead, although it is really more of a village.  But I digress.

So this is my New Year’s Day Tired Tuesday post.  Here is a Freudian typo for you: I first put “Tried Tuesday.”  Get it?  I TRIED to make a decent blog post.  I shall try again tomorrow.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →